'Time' Person of the Year: Pope Francis

8:30 AM,
Dec. 11, 2013

Pope Francis arrives in St. Peter's Square for the weekly general audience on Dec. 4 at the Vatican.

Written by

John Bacon, USA TODAY

Calling him "The People's Pope," Time magazine on Wednesday named Pope Francis its Person of the Year.

"What makes this pope so important is the speed with which he has captured the imaginations of millions who had given up on hoping for the church," Time said in its cover story announcing the news.

Pope Francis, 76, was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires. He was named archbishop of Argentina in 1998, became a cardinal in 2001 and was elected pope by the papal conclave in Vatican City on March 13. He replaced Pope Benedict XVI, 86, who announced his resignation Feb. 11 citing a "lack of ...